Kukla's Korner Hockey

History shows that having a playoff position in January tends to be a big indicator of who ends up with a spot in April. In each of the last two seasons, 14 of the 16 teams that held playoff spots at the all-star break went on to make the postseason. In other words, teams on the outside looking in today will really have their work cut out for them.

But that doesn’t mean that that the jump can’t be made. In the Eastern Conference, Buffalo, Carolina, Florida and Pittsburgh are separated by just three points. Two of those teams will make the playoffs, and two won’t. In the West, only two points separate the five teams seeded six through 10, with the Oilers and Canucks both in the thick of the battle.